An independent, not-for-profit and Africa-based think-tank and consultancy - committed to research, insights and thought-leadership on the Continent’s politics, democracy, trade, security, leadership and governance.

Open fora bringing together knowledgeable and influential panelists and audiences from government, business, academia and civil society to generate fresh thinking and new ideas, and to find solutions to the complex issues and risks facing Africa.

The Africa Insights Think Tank is launching its #SouthAfricaElections2019Monitor project in the run-up to South Africa's general elections in 2019.

The project will include:

Opinion Pulse: poll of approximately 9,000 registered voters (sample - pro rata: gender, age, geographical spread, etc.) focusing on voter’s issue preferences, engagement in the election, opinions about the political parties and main candidates, views of the campaign and preferences.

Events will be hosted at Liliesleaf, Johannesburg and open to the public, subject to a registration fee. Panels will be held under the Chatham® House Rule.

(Disclaimer: Africa Insights Think Tank reserves the right to restrict access to any of its meetings without notice or explanation.)

To receive regular updates on #SouthAfricaElections2019Monitor polls, events and other information, please register at Contact below.

#SouthAfricaElections2019Monitor - Related General Information

Election Date: The current terms of the National Assembly and provincial legislatures expire on May 7, 2019. In terms of section 49(2) of the South African Constitution, the president has to announce an election date which can be no later than 90 days after the current 5 year term expires. So the elections have to be held no later than 7 August 2019.

South Africa’s Electoral System: South Africa’s electoral system is built around the concept of “proportional representation” (i.e. power-sharing).

Allocation of Seats: Seats are allocated proportionally – the number of seats allocated to a party depends on how many times the party meets a full quota. This is calculated by dividing each party’s share of the vote, regionally and then nationally, by the quotas determined at those levels. South Africa uses a version of the Droop Quota method.

Parliament: South Africa’s “bi-cameral” Parliament has of 490 seats; two houses – a lower house and an upper house. The lower house, or the ‘National Assembly’, represents 400 seats. The upper house, or the ‘National Council of Provinces (NCOP)’, represents 90 seats (10 members from each province). Members to the NCOP are provincial delegates nominated by each provincial legislature. The National Assembly, however, is filled in accordance with the votes cast in the General Election by the electorate and it is here where the executive cabinet originates.

Political Party Funding: South Africa is one of very few democracies in the world that do not regulate the private funding of political parties. Most countries have laws that encourage parties to disclose their funders. All 10 of the largest democracies in the world have disclosure laws. However, a recent judgment passed down by the Constitutional Court calls for the current law to be amended and for a clear policy to be developed on private funding. The new Political Party Funding Bill (the Bill) is designed to regulate private and public funding, and also proposes that donations from certain groups, such as foreign governments or organs of state, are banned. The African National Congress (ANC) and the biggest opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), agree with the Bill. Only the smaller opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), is refusing to support the Bill.

Publications

African Economic Outlook 2018

This year’s African Economic Outlook examines recent macroeconomic development and structural changes in Africa, and outlines the 2018 prospects (Part I). It then focuses on the need to develop Africa’s infrastructure, and recommends new strategies and innovative financing instruments for countries to consider, depending on their level of development and specific circumstances (Part II). Source: www.afdb.org

Democratization processes over the last four decades have created many opportunities for public participation in political life. More people today live in electoral democracies than ever before. However, numerous countries grapple with challenges to democracy, contributing to the perception that democracy is in ‘decline’ or has experienced ‘reversals’ or ‘stagnation’. Some of these challenges relate to issues of corruption, money in politics and policy capture, inequality and social exclusion, migration or post-conflict transition to democracy. Many leaders and democratic actors continue to manipulate democratic processes and institutions, which often contributes to democratic backsliding in their respective countries.Source: www.idea.int

The 2017 Positive Peace Report outlines a new approach to societal development through the application of Positive Peace and systems thinking. Positive Peace is defined as the attitudes, institutions and structures that create and sustain peaceful societies. The same factors that create peace also lead to many other positive outcomes that societies aspire to, such as thriving economies, better inclusion, high levels of resilience and societies that are more capable of adapting to change. Therefore, Positive Peace can be described as creating an optimum environment in which human potential can flourish. Source: www.economicsandpeace.org

Last year’s Global Risks Report was published at a time of heightened global uncertainty and rising popular discontent with the existing political and economic order. The report called for “fundamental reforms to market capitalism” and a rebuilding of solidarity within and between countries. One year on, the urgency of facing up to these challenges has, if anything, intensified. Economic growth is picking up, but 2017 was a year of widespread uncertainty, instability and fragility. Source: www.weforum.org

Slow progress in living standards, and widening inequality, have contributed to political polarization and erosion of social cohesion in many advanced and emerging economies. This has led to the emergence of a worldwide consensus on the need for a more inclusive and sustainable model of growth and development that promotes high living standards for all. Source: www.weforum.org

Ranks jurisdictions according to their secrecy and the scale of their offshore financial activities. A politically neutral ranking, it is a tool for understanding global financial secrecy, tax havens or secrecy jurisdictions, and illicit financial flows or capital flight. The index was launched on January 30, 2018. Source: www.financialsecrecyindex.com